1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a noise estimation apparatus and method, and more particularly to a Carrier-to-Interference-and-Noise Ratio (CINR) estimation apparatus and method for estimating a CINR serving as one of channel quality criteria in a communication system based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) or Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA).
2. Description of the Related Art
The Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technique has recently been used to transfer data at a high rate through a wired/wireless channel. The OFDM technique transfers data by means of a plurality of subcarriers. The OFDM technique converts input serial data into parallel data, modulates the parallel data into a plurality of subcarriers, that is, sub-channels, with orthogonality, and then transfers the modulated data.
This OFDM technique is widely applied to digital transfer technologies such as digital/audio broadcasting, digital TV, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Asynchronous Transfer Mode (WATM), Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), etc. In the past, the OFDM technique was not widely used because of the hardware complexity required for implementing it, but has been employed recently due to the development of various digital signal processing technologies including Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT). This OFDM technique is similar to a conventional Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) technique, but above all can achieve optimal transfer efficiency by transferring a plurality of subcarriers while maintaining the orthogonality therebetween. Moreover, the OFDM technique improves frequency efficiency and is robust to multipath fading.
Further, the OFDM technique is robust to frequency-selective fading by utilizing overlapping frequency spectra and can reduce the effect of intersymbol interference by making use of guard intervals. In terms of hardware, the OFDM technique can employ a simple equalizer and is robust to impulse noise.
In a communication system based on OFDM/OFDMA, channel signal quality serving as a parameter necessary for Adaptive Power Control (APC), adaptive modulation/demodulation, etc., for example, a Carrier-to-Interference-Noise Ratio (CINR), must be measured. An APC or adaptive modulation/demodulation unit controls power or a modulation/demodulation level according to the measured channel signal quality using a CINR. In this case, the CINR is defined by the total sum of subcarrier signal power divided by the total sum of noise and interference power, and serves as a criterion determining channel quality in the communication system.
The prior art for estimating the CINR is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,456,653 (hereinafter, referred to as the “'653 patent”) entitled “FAST AND ACCURATE SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO ESTIMATION TECHNIQUE FOR OFDM SYSTEMS”. In the '653 patent, a method for estimating a noise level using a guard band is disclosed. However, the above-described conventional noise level estimation method has a problem in that the accuracy of estimating the noise level may be degraded when the number of subcarriers is insufficient, and an estimated noise level may be higher than an actually measured noise level because of an Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio (ACLR).